Cadence Weapon Shares New Single, “Press Eject”
Rapper, producer, author, and former poet laureate Rollie Pemberton — better known as Cadence Weapon — announces his sixth studio album, ROLLERCOASTER, arriving April 19th via MNRK Music. In conjunction, he presents the first single “Press Eject” and announces a North American tour kicking off this coming spring. Having emerged as an artist who gave voice to issues of systemic inequality and racial disparity, particularly among Canada’s Black communities, with his 2021 Polaris Prize-winning fifth album Parallel World, Cadence Weapon returns with a sense of urgency, addressing the dizzying contradictions of modern culture and technology with both precision and irreverence.
With “Press Eject,” the anthemic, techno-revolt lead single, we see Pemberton rejecting the rules of the internet and reminding listeners of their agency. “I don’t wanna play your game […] / Don’t wanna pay for the space that I made / It works better when you post your face,” he sings over corrosive drums and squelching electronics.
“I wanted to write an anthem for people who are fed up with the way the Internet has become,” Pemberton explains. “I want to remind people that there are platforms that have come and gone, because they’re vulnerable if we aren’t on them. I’m encouraging everyone to be more empowered and thoughtful about how we engage with social media. Maybe we can create a better situation for ourselves.”
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Rollie Pemberton, I live in Hamilton and I make rap music as Cadence Weapon. I’m the former poet laureate of my hometown of Edmonton. I won the 2021 Polaris Prize for my album Parallel World. I’m a musician, producer, author and DJ. I love music.
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
ROLLERCOASTER is a document of me attempting to navigate the contemporary technological landscape, analyzing how our collective relationship to the internet has reshaped our lives. It is a love letter to the early web. It’s also a warning about an automated future. It’s filled with electro and hyperpop jams. The first single “Press Eject” is all about the idea of techno-revolt, taking back our lives and our time from the corporations who profit from it.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
I’m a bit of a magpie. I collect ideas and fragments, usually with the notes app on my phone. I get my best ideas when I go for a run or I’m in motion in some way. I write best when I have a big pint glass of water beside me. I’ll pile up ideas until I sense something more significant is forming and I’ll flesh it out from there. Usually, I’ll put a beat on and mumble for hours until the gibberish becomes real words. And then once I’ve got some demos, I prune and manicure the songs until they carry their purest essence.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
I just released the video for “Press Eject” and we’ll have some more videos coming soon. I’ll be touring North America this spring, starting with Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco. I’ll also be writing about my process for creating the album in my Substack newsletter.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
The highlight would obviously be winning the Polaris Prize. That changed my life and redefined my career.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
I’ve been really enjoying NYSSA’s new album Shake Me Where I’m Foolish. I’ve had “My Gemini” on repeat all week. She has some epic, mystical imagery in her lyrics that reminds me of PJ Harvey but her attitude is a bit like Iggy Pop or Patti Smith at times. It’s really rad.
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